Advisory team will drive overhaul of US railroad regulator

There’s a new advisory crew at the federal Surface Transportation Board, which oversees the business of freight railroading.

Sharon Clark, Rob Reilly and Chris Bertram have joined the agency as senior advisers, temporary positions designed to help drive Chairman Patrick Fuchs’ reform agenda within the agency, a release stated.

“Sharon, Rob, and Chris bring extensive experience, immense knowledge, and invaluable perspectives that will greatly benefit the Board’s reform efforts,” Fuchs said in the release. “I am grateful that these accomplished and distinguished executives will help the Board become more efficient and effective for all stakeholders.”

Clark most recently served as senior vice president with responsibility for transportation, compliance and regulatory affairs at Perdue AgriBusiness LLC. She served on the National Grain & Feed Association’s Foundation, Executive Committee and board of directors, and chaired the NGFA Arbitration Appeals Panel from 2017-2023 and was a member of the NGFA Rail Arbitration Committee from 1999-2022. Clark also worked with the STB as a member of the Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council and National Grain Car Council.

Reilly most recently served as executive vice president and chief operating officer at Canadian National Railway (NYSE: CNI). He began his railroad career in 1989 at the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, now BNSF, rising to vice president of operations for the Southern Transcon route connecting Los Angeles and Chicago. Reilly also served as chairman of the Belt Railway of Chicago, the largest U.S. switching terminal railroad co-owned by the six Class I railroads.

A partner at political consultant B&S Strategies, Bertram served as the staff director for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2012-2016. During his tenure, the committee’s legislative accomplishments included enactment of the $305 billion, five-year Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act; reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Board and Amtrak; and enactment of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act covering ports and waterways infrastructure.

As chief financial officer for the U.S. Department of Transportation from 2009-2012, Bertram oversaw the agency’s $70 billion budget. He has also held positions with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President.

The trio will work closely with Fuchs to provide strategic counsel and support initiatives aimed at improving the agency’s operations. Their primary focus areas will include streamlining processes, improving collaboration and transparency, and ensuring a more efficient and effective regulatory environment for the nation’s surface transportation network.

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Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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